As many as 122 turtles of a rare species, with over 40 of them dead, were seized by authorities after they were allegedly being smuggled by few persons in a vehicle here.
Acting on a tip-off, a joint team of police and wild life department officials seized the animals from a SUV while checking it at Shakti Farm area last evening in Udham Singh Nagar district in the state, Deputy Forest Ranger Deepchandra Mehra said.
While 79 of them were found alive, rest 43 were dead. The soft-shelled tortoises are listed under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act.
As soon as the car was stopped, the driver and occupants of the vehicle fled, an official said today.
The car has been impounded and hunt is on to nab the smugglers, police said, adding the vehicle bears sticker of a students' unions' poll rally in a college of the area.
